It has been a while since we had some game news from Bandai Namco Amusements America, the US/CAN side of the company – and an even longer time since we had something new to share on their 2017 release, Maximum Tune 5. Now that a new year is in full swing, that is changing.
As the headline says, BNAA has announced a new nationwide (well, technically international, as they do cover Canada) tournament for the game, officially “The 4th Nagoya Area Online Champion Match.” The match begins on January 21st and goes for a month to February 21st. This takes advantage of the fact that all MaxiTune 5 games are connected to the internet, and the game has built-in tournament features (whether for an event like this or locally).
Players will be able to get exclusive name plates (which will change the look of the lower right UI portion that shows the player’s name and current speed) by participating in and playing the Qualifier and Main Event portions well. The gold Dragon plate is the top name plate prize from the main event. They also will be awarding other skins and ID tags that can be won as qualifier prizes. Players will only be able to win these by participating in the tournament. Per the official tournament page:
There are 4 different name plates you can get during the Qualifiers. After each Qualifier race, there will be a short mini-game in which you have the chance to receive a name plate.
If you can master the mini-game, you can get all 4 Qualifier name plates in as little as four plays.There are 2 different name plates you can get during the Main event. All participants, regardless of their end rank, will receive the Participation Prize Name Plate. However, only the top 100 finishers will receive the special Main Event Prize Name Plate.
Namco originally had hoped to do this tournament last Summer (they even mentioned it at Amusement Expo in March), but due to the situation/lockdowns held off until now. They did briefly address why they are doing this now, given that states like California (where a few MT5 units are located) are still in lockdown. I don’t know if any of those venues can/are allowed to do a private party kind of thing, like some arcades have done – or even movie theaters in some places.
Here’s the full press release, what do you think about it?
CONTACT: Neely Battle, Development and Marketing Coordinator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(847) 264-5623; nbattle@bandainamco-am.com
Maximum Tune 5 TOURNAMENT SET FOR JANUARY 12, 2021
BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America is excited to announce the next highly anticipated Maximum Tune 5 tournament set to begin January 12, 2021: The 4th Nagoya Area Online Champion Match. During the tournament, players will be able to compete to win exclusive name plates and rankings. The tournament will last a month, ending in February, with network updates for players multiple times daily.
During the tournament, players will race the “ghost car” of the current top ranking player, which is a head-to-head race against the leader who created the leading time. There are 6 different name plates during this event, which can be won during the Qualifiers or Main event. After each Qualifier race, there will be a short mini-game in which players have the chance to receive a name plate.
The times for the tournament are as follows:
Qualifier – 1/12/2021 7:00 A.M. (CST) – 2/7/2021 4:00 A.M. (CST)
Main Draw – 2/7/2021 7:00 A.M. (CST) – 2/14/2021 10:00 P.M. (CST)
Visit https://wanganmaxi-official.com/wanganmaxi5/na/event/004.php for more information.
About BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America, Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America, Inc. (BNAA) is a subsidiary of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings (USA) Inc. BNAA uses cutting-edge technology and advanced electronics to take their home recreational products far beyond traditional entertainment. BNAA is the premier manufacturer of coin-operated arcade games & attractions ranging from the hottest video games like Time Crisis 5 and Mario Kart DX to popular redemption games like Jumpin’ Jackpot and Whack’em Funky Gators. For the greatest arcade gaming fun, BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America is your answer!
This is exactly the thing that ALL arcade manufactures & venues need to develop & support.
This is what could differentiate arcades from home or ‘typical’ esports events, especially when using dedicated hardware.